Thursday, April 26, 2012

Last summer we took 30
Christian Entrepreneurs and Ministry leaders to the 7,000 sq. ft., 4 story,
ocean home of a former CEO I had had the privilege of coaching and working with
for nearly 10 years.This amazing leader
had taken a $2 million company to $2 Billion in sales in just 15 years.Yes, they went public and they are still a
leader in their industry today.

He is no longer involved and
is not what I would call a dedicated Christian.In fact, his mother dropped him off at an orphanage at 6.They raised him and he is still upset with
God today over that fate.

But he openly shared the
whys, hows, strategies and tactics that allowed the business to grow so fast
against many obstacles.We rapid-fire
drilled him with questions that he answered with humility and wisdom.

At the end of the meeting, we
asked him if and how we could pray for him.He paused and thought and then said, “Yes, for liquidity.”Turns out he invested large sums of money in
two major enterprises, that might not make it, which would put him in big
jeopardy. So we eagerly gathered around him and prayed for God to move on his
behalf.

One morning four months
later, I got a surprise phone call from him. He said, in a very excited voice.“John, PRAYER WORKS ! PRAYER WORKS! One of my big deals sold and I can keep my
house!Thank you so much for praying for
me.No one has ever done that for me
before.I am so thankful. Please tell your members.” Then three
months later, he called again equally excited with a similar story.His second deal was sold and he got out whole
with no losses.Again, he wanted me to
thank the group.

So here is the moral of the
story: I have seen it play out time and time again... God honors Unselfish Prayers for others faster
than prayers for oneself.We are all so
self-centered that we petition for ourselves as our first line of prayers.But when our heart sincerely turns toward the
needs and cries of others, God move more rapidly, when it’s in His will.

The Secret is Intercessory Prayer. The most effective
time in my business has been when I had three intercessors who voluntarily came
to pray during and after our meetings.Its one of the reasons I ask members to pair up in twos to pray for each
other’s needs.When you are praying for
your boss, your customers or fellow workers, it triples your influence with God
through His purposes.

It first honors God to make a
humble and meaningful request, then it honors those in need you are praying for,
and finally it draws you closer to Him and His plan for your life.We all know Prayer changes us, and now you
know the secret to the most effective prayers.Who is praying for you tonight ?James
5:16“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so
that you may be healed. The prayer of a
righteous person is powerful and effective.”